Machine for shredding the leaves of fibrous plants



G. A. LOWRY MACHINE FOR. SHREDDING THE LEAVES OF FIBROUS. PLMIT'S 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet J 1 Fil ed Sept. 23,

G. A. LOWRY MACHINE FOR SHREDDING THE LEAVES OF FIBHOUS PLANTS Filed Sept. 23, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 git w a l Mom G. A. LOWRY MACHINE FOR SHREDDING THE LEAVES OF FIBROUS PLANTS Filed Sept. 23, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Dec. 23, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

GEORGE A. IQOW'RY, OF INDIANAPOLIS; INDIANA, ASSIGNOR', BY MESNE' ASSIGNMENTS, TO TROPICAL FIBRE CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

IVIACI-IINE FOR SHREDDING THE LEAVES OF FI'BROUS PLANTS.

Application filed Septemberfit, 1920. Serial No. 412,261.

To aZZwv/mm it may, concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. Lownr, residing at Indianapolis, county of Marion, State of Indiana, have made a certain new and useful Invention in Machines for Shredding the Leaves of'Fibrous Plants, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for shredding leaves, stalks, and other portions of fibrousplants.

The object of the invention. isto provide a machine which is simple and efficient for shredding leaves, stalks and other portions of fibrous plants, trees, or the like, to obtain the fibres therefrom for use in the manufacture of variousarticles of commerce.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of. the the nature and character referred to which is economical to build and efficient in operation, and wherein the leaves, plants, stalks, or the like, to be shredded are presented to the shredding devices in a line of feed. which is diagonal to the plane of the operation of shredding devices.

Other objects of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

The invention consists substantially in the construction, combination, location, and relative arrangement of'parts, all as will be more fully hereinafter set forth, as shown in the accompanying drawings, and finally pointed out. in the appended? claims.

Referring tothe accompanying drawings and to the various views and. reference signs appearing. thereon,

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a shredding machine embodying the principles of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Fig. 3. is a view, on a somewhat larger scale, in section on the line 3, 3, Fig. 2,

looking in the direction of the arrows, partsbroken off.

Fig. l; is a brokenview intop plan of a portion of the machine shown. in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a broken detail view in section on the same plane as Fig. 3 on a somewhat larger scale.

Fig. 6 is a broken detail. view in section on the line 6, 6, Fig. 2, looking in the direction of. the arrows.

Fig. 7 is a detail view illustrating a structure for securing longitudinal reciprocation of the rotary cleaning brush.

Fig. 8'is a detached detail view illustrating the action of the shredding devices upon a fibrous leaf.

Fig. 9 is a broken detail view showing the mounting of the pinching rollers at the edge of the table adjacent the shredding devices.

The same part is designated by the same reference numeral wherever it occurs throughout the several views.

In obtaining the fibres fromv the leaves, stems, stalks and other portions of fibrous plants and trees, it has heretofore been a common practice to decorticate such leaves,

stems, stalks, 8:0. to remove the woody portion of the material in the treatment, and to separate therefrom the fibrous portion. Various manners of decorticating such leaves, stems, stalks or the like have been proposed and employed. These, however, are objectionable, not only because of the expense of decorticating apparatus employed, but also because of the length of time required in effecting the production of: the fibres. In addition, a large amount of wastage of otherwise useful fibre incurred in the decorticating methods most commonly employed. It has also been proposed to shred the leaves, stems, stalks or other portions of fibrous plants, trees orthe like by 'means of slitting or shredding cutters. Usually the slitting operations have been carried out in the direction of the length of the leaf, stem, stalk or the like by pre senting or feeding such leaf, stem, stalk or the like longitudinally towards and in the plane'of action of slitting orshredding cutters.

The practical objection to this mode of procedure and to the apparatus employed.

for carrying it out resides in the fact that the slitting cutters, or a gang of them, penetrate the leaf, stem, stalk or the like at points in a line transversely across the width of the leaf, stem, stalk or the like, with the result that there-is a failure to secure'the resistance or backing to the penetrating action of the cutters or shredding devices of the full transverse width of the leaf, stalk, stem or the like, for each penetrating or shredding cutter. Consequently, the fibres,

or a substantial portion of them, become severed from the leaf, stem or stalk, re sulting in loss of useful lengths of the fibre.

It is among the special purposes of my present invention to avoid the objections above noted, and to provide means whereby the leaves, stems, stalks or other portions of fibrous plants, trees or the like are shredded by the action of shredding cutters acting successively thereon in the direction of the width of the leaf, stem, stalk or the like, but on a line of penetration of the successive cutters or gang of cutters or shredders, diagonally across the transverse width of the leaf, stem, stalk or the like so that the point of penetration of each shredding cutter occurs at a distance more remote from the advancing end of the leaf, stem, stalk or the like than the points of penetration of the immediately preceding cutter or shredder, so that the progression of the points of penetration of the succeeding shredders or cutters defines a line diagonally across the transverse width of the leaf, stem, stalk or the like to be shredded, thus affording the full transverse width of the stem or stalk as a resistance or backing for each shredder or cutter penetrating the same.

It is also among the special purposes of my invention to provide an apparatus which is simple in structure, economical to manufacture, and easy to operate for accomplishing the shredding action in the manner above indicated.

In carrying out my invention, I propose to employ a gang of rotary shreddin r de vices, each provided with sharply pointed shredding cutters designed to penetrate the leaves, stems, stalks or other portions of the plant, trees or the like from which the fibres are to be obtained, and I propose to feed or present the leaves, stems or stalks to be shredded in a line diagonally or inclined with reference to the plane of action of the shredding cutters. I also propose to employ means to hold the leaves, stems, stalks or the like against derangement from the action of the shredders and while being fed in a diagonal or inclined direction to the action thereof.

An apparatus embodying my invention, while well adapted for use in shredding the leaves, stems, stalks or other portions of fibrous plants or trees of various kinds, is particularly well adapted for use in shredding the leavesof cabbage palm trees, of pita de Colombia, and similar fibrous plants. I will describe the structure and operation of the apparatus with reference to fibrous leaves, whether of the palm tree or the pita de Colombia plant, but in employing the term leaf or leaves, I wish to include thereby, not only the fibrous leaves, but also the fibrous stems, stalks or the like of fibrous plants or trees.

Referring to the drawings, reference numeral 10 designates a suitable framework upon which the various working parts of the apparatus are mounted. At one end of the framework, suitable standards 11 are mounted, in the tops of which is journalled a shaft 12, adapted to receive rotation in any. suitable or convenient manner, and from any convenient source, as, for example, from power driven overhead shafting, not shown, belt geared to a driving pulley 13 on said shaft 12, as shown in Fig. 2. Mounted upon the shaft 12, at opposite ends thereof, inside the standard 11, are the heads 14, between which are clamped and held discs 15, with intermediate spacing members or blocks 16. The end heads 14, discs 15, and spacers 16, are clamped together in any suitable or convenient manner,

as, for instance, by means of the'bolts 17,

see Fig. 6, passing therethrough, and these parts all revolve together with the shaft 12, as, for example, through a suitable spline connection 18 to said shaft.

Upon the periphery of each of the discs 15 are mounted a series of shredding cutters 19. The shredding cutters may be of any suitable or convenient form or structure. In practice I have found that a shredding cutter blade having a curved body portion with a sharp pointed hooked end 20, projecting beyond the periphery of the disc 15, well answers the purpose.

The shredding devices above described are mounted to revolve adjacent and past the edge of the table 21, see Figs. 1 and 3, which table is supported'upon the framework 10.

I have indicated at 22, see Figs. 2 and 4, a leaf to be presented to the action of the shredding cutters 19. Instead of feeding the leaves longitudinally towards and in the plane of action of the shredding cutters, I provide means, in accordance with the principles of my invention, to feed the leaves simultaneously forwardly in the direction of their lengths, and sidewise with a resultant feed travel in a line inclined to the plane of action of the shredding cutters. To accomplish this result, I employ a feed chain 23, in the form of an endless belt, which operates over sprockets 24, arranged to be'driven in any suitable or convenient manner. A simple arrangement is shown wherein one of the sprockets 24 is mounted upon a shaft 25, carrying a pulley 26, see Fig. 2, adapted to be belt driven from any convenient source. The feed chain or device 23, is equipped with pins 27, upon which the leaves may be impaled so as to secure an efficient feeding action. The feed device 23 is arranged to operate in a direction inclined to the plane of operation of the shredding cutter discs 15. The leaves to be presented to the shredding cutters are placed upon the top of the table 21, and are so disposed as to lie in or parallel to the plane of action of the discs 15, and diagonally across the feed device 23,, and are impaled on the pins 27 of said device. By the operation of the feed device 23, the leaves are carried in an inclined direction towards and over the edge of the table adjacent the shredding discs, and in an inclined direction along such edge and towards and past the discs successively, thereby permitting the various cutters of each disc to successively penetrate the leaf and to shred the same longitudinally or in the direction of length of the leaf, the point of penetration of the leaf by each succeeding cutter of each disc being farther removed from the advancing end of the leaf than the point of penetration of the immediately preceding cutter or the cutters of the disc. The result is that each cutter at its point of penetration of the leaf is afforded the entire transverse width of the leaf as a resistance backing to its penetration of the leaf, there by avoiding the danger of severing the shred or fiber from the leaf. Moreover, I am also enabled to secure a more minute shredding action of the leaf than has heretofore been possible in shredding apparatus; that is to say. each succeeding slit or point of penetration of the slitting cutter is more closely adjacent to the immediately preceding slit or point of penetration than h'as heretofore been found possible or practicable. This is a most important feature ofmy invention,

since the finer the shredding operation, the more valuable the fibre obtained, particularly for subsequent cleaning and spinning operations.

In addition, by the arrangement above described, I am enabled to subject the whole transverse width of the leaf to the action of the shredding cutters, whereas if the cutters penetrate the leaf on the same transverse line, when the shredding action extends to approximately half way across the trans-. verse width of the leaf, the remaining part of the leaf affords insufficient resistance or backing to stand up to the cutting action.

The tendency of rapidly revolving shredding devices as they penetrate the leaf is to cause the leaf to become deranged or dis placed from its proper uniform feeding position. This is exceedingly objectionable, since the best results are obtained when the leaves are held in feeding position uniformly while being fed along and while being acted upon by the shredding cutters. Various arrangements may be employed for maintaining the uniform positions of the leaves with reference to the shredding cutters during the shredding operation. I have shown a simple arrangement for accomplishing this result wherein I employ one or more transverse shafts 28, 29, suitably journalled in standards forming part of the framework 10. Mounted upon these shafts to rock or swing freely thereon are arms 30, 31. These arms carry sprockets, 32 at their free ends, over which and cooperating sprockets 33, 34, respectively, mounted on the shafts 28, 29-, are carried loosely mounted sprocket chains, 35, 36, each having pins 317. These chains 35, 36 are disposed in planes parallel with the feed chain 23,, and the arms 30, 31, extend from the shafts 28, 29, to the edge of the table 21, over which the ends of the leaves are presented to the action of the shredding cutters. The pins or prongs 37 011 the chains 35, 36, penetrate the leaves as the latter are conveyed to the action of the shredders, and retain the same in uniform position against the possibility of derangement or displacement under the action of the shredding cutters. The shafts 28, 29, are driven in any suitable or convenient manner. Of course, the chains 35, 36, must be driven in the same direction as the carrier feed device 23. A simple arrangement is shown wherein shaft 28 is driven by me'ans of a sprocket chain 38,, from a sprocket 39, geared as indicated at 40, to shaft 41, which carries one of the sprockets 24, over which feed chain 23 operates. The shaft 28 is geared by means of a sprocket chain 1-2 to '1 suitable sprocket on shaft 29. By this arrangement retaining chains 35, 36 are driven in the same feeding direction as feed chain 23. In practice I form suitable grooves indicated at 43, in the table surface to. accommodate pins 37, where they penetrate entirely through the leaves.

Sprockets 32 at the free ends of the arms 30, 31, bear by gravity upon the upper sur-. face. of the leaves and in conjunction with the feed chains 35, 3.6, serve to maintain the leaves in suitable position while being subjected to the action of the shredding cutters. The retaining and holding chains 35, 36, are loosely mounted upon their sprockets to. afford sufficient slack to enable them to accomplish their holding and maintaining purposes, and these chains aid and assist the feed device L3 in feeding for wardly the leaves in a diagonal line, in addition to theirfunction of retaining the leaves against derangement due to the action of the rapidly revolving shredding cutters. In order to more efliciently maintain the leaves in proper position at the points of penetration of the shredding cutters, I associate with each sprocket 32 a pinching disc or roller 44, each of which is mounted in a slot in the edge of the table 21 adjacent the point of action of the shredding cutters, and below the table surface, so. as to extend approximately to the level of the table surface at. the upper portions of their peripheries. These pinching discs are mounted to freely revohe and the feed movement of the leaves thereover rotarially displacethem. If desired, however, and to ensure rotative movement of these pinch discs, they may be provided on the faces thereof with pins 46, which are engaged by the pins 37 on the chains 35, 36, as said chains are fed thereover. The leaves are fed between the adjacent peripheries of the sprockets 32 and pinching discs 44, said discs 44 constituting a rotatable surface or support for the leaves at the points adjacent the penetrations of the leaves by the shredding cutters.

By mounting shaft 12 carrying the shredding mechanismin standards 11 up on the framework 10, it will be observed that the shredding devices are elevated. This I have found to be desirable in order to afford a sufficient space and height to permit the shredded portion 47 of the material under treatment to hang down over the edge of the table 21 after the shredding cutters have accomplished their work as indicated in Figs. 3 and 5.

The leaves of some fibrous plants usually contain certain gummy substances which may tend to collect upon the shredding blades or cutters 19, thereby impairing the proper action of these cutters. In order to prevent this, and to keep the cutters clean of any adhering substance or material, I may,

if desired, employ a rotary brush 48, and arrange the same to act upon and to clean the cutters during the rotating of the discs 15. A simple and efficient arrangement for this purpose'is shown wherein the brush 48 is mounted upon to rotate with a shaft 49, which brush and shaft are driven in any suitable manner preferably in the same direction with the. discs 15, but at a higher speed. In the arrangement shown the brush is, driven at a higher rate of speed in the same direction as the shaft 12 by means of a belt 50 engaging over pulleys on said shafts 12, 49, respectively. In order to enable the brush to more efliciently accom-, plish its purpose, the brush .is given a longitudinally reciprocating movement upon its shaft 49. This may be accomplished in any convenient manner as, for example, by means of the cam surfaces 51 at the respective ends of a tubular sleeve 52, which sleeve is mounted to rotate with but to slide longitudinally upon shaft 49, and

cooperating cam surfaces 52, on fixed sleeves 58, through which the shaft 49 exif desired, and in order to remove such woody, pithy and similar material from the fibres, the fibres may be subjected to a beating action. I accomplish this by mounting rods 54 through the discs 15 adjacent their peripheries, as is most clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the function of which is to exert a beating action upon the fibres after the shredding operation is completed and while the discs are being rapidly rotated to accomplish their shredding action. In order to enable the beating rods 54 to more satisfactorily accomplish their functions, a fan member 55 is mounted below the table 21, adjacent to and parallel with the edge of the table over which the shredding action takes place. This fan is driven in the same direction as the direction of travel of the adjacent portions of the discs 15, and this may be accomplished in any suitable or convenient way, as, for example, by a belt connection 56, to a pulley 57 on the driving shaft 12, of the shredding discs. The fan plates acting upon or towards the fibres tend to press or blow the fibres towards and in position to be acted upon by the beater rods 54.

In Fig. 8, I have indicated the shredding action upon a fibrous leaf indicated at 22. It will be observed that in the shredded portion 47 of the leaf each shred thereof or slit forming a shred thereof, commences at a point farther removed from the advancing end of the leaf than the immediately preceding shred or shred slit, the beginning of each slit to form a shred corresponding to the point of penetration of the shredding cutter. The points of penetration of the shredding cutters define a line diagonally across the transverse width of the leaf, thereby enabling me to attain the benefits and advantages above set forth.

While I have shown and described a specific structure embodying the principles of my invention and a structure which I have found in practice to be well adapted for use for the purposes for which it is intended,

I desire it to be understood thatmy invention in its broadest scope as defined in the claims is not to be limited or restricted to the specific details shown and described.

But having now set forth the objects and nature of my invention and a construction embodying the principles thereof, what I claim as new and useful and of my own invention. and desireto secure by Letters Patent 1s: i

1. In a machine for shredding fibrousleaves, the combination with successively' acting means to slit the leaves, of means to feed the leaves in a direction inclined to the plane of action of the slitting means.

2. Ina machine for shredding fibrous leaves, the combination of successively active means operating to slit the leaves in the direction of the length thereof, and means for penetrating the leaf at points lying in a line diagonal to the transverse Width of the leaf.

3. In a machine for shredding fibrous leaves. the combination with successively acting slitting devices, of feeding mechanism operating to present the leaves to the action of the slitting devices in a direction inclined to the plane of action thereof.

a. In a machine for shredding fibrous leaves, the combination with successively acting slitting devices, of feeding mechanism operating to feed the leaves longitudinally towards and laterally past the slitting devices whereby said slitting devices penetrate the leaf at points in lines lying diagonally across the transverse width of the leaf.

5. In a machine for shredding fibrous leaves, the combination of a series of successively acting slitting cutters and feed devices for the leaves to be shredded, said feed devices and slitting cutters arranged to operate in angular direction with respect to each other.

6. In a machine for shredding fibrous leaves, the combination with a series of successively acting rotary leaf slitting cutters, of means operating to progressively present the leaves in a direction inclined to the length thereof to the action of said cutters, said cutters being arranged in gangs.

7. In a machine for shredding fibrous leaves, the combination with successively acting slitting devices operating in the direction of the lengths of the leaves to be shredded, of means to progressively present each leaf to the action of the slitting devices and in a direction inclined to the length of the leaf.

8. In a machine for shredding fibrous leaves, the combination with rotary successively acting slitting cutters operating to slit the leaves longitudinally, of means to progressively present each leaf to the action of the slitting cutters in a direction inclined to the plane of action of said cutters whereby said cutters act at points on said leaves in lines inclined at an angle to the length thereof.

9. In a machine for shredding fibrous leaves, the combination with a plurality of slitting devices operating to slit the leaves in the direction of their length, of means to present each leaf successively to the actions of said cutters in a direction. inclined to the length of the leaf.

10. In a machine for shredding fibrous leaves, the combination with a' plurality of slitting devices operating in gangs to slit .the leaves in the direction of their lengtl'i, of means to progressively feed each leaf longitudinally towards and laterally past said slitting devices in succession.

11. In a machine for shredding fibrous leaves, the combination with successively acting means to slit the leaves, of means to feed the leaves in a direction inclined to the plane of action of the slitting means, and

means to hold the leaves against displacement while being acted upon by the slitting means.

1.2. In a machine for shredding fibrous leaves, the combination with a series of successively acting splitting devices oJerating in the direction of the lengths of the leaves to be shredded, of means to progressively present each leaf to the action of the slitting devices and in direction inclined to the length of the leaf, and means to engage and hold the leaves in place while being acted upon by the slitting devices.

13. In a machine for shredding fibrous leaves, the combination with successively acting rotary slitting cutters operating to slit the leaves longitudinally, of means to progressively present each leaf to the action of the slitting cutters in a direction inclined to the plane of action of said cutters, and means to engage and hold the leaves against derangement While being acted upon by the slitting cutters.

1a. In a machine for shredding fibrous leaves, the combination with a plurality of slitting devices successively operating to slit the leaves in the direction of their length, of means to present each leaf successively to the actions of said cutters in a direction inclined to the length of the leaf, and means to engage and hold the leaves against derangement while being acted upon by the slitting devices.

15. In a machine for shredding fibrous leaves, a rotatable shaft, and discs mounted thereon and each having a series of cutters at their peripheries, in combination with feeding mechanism operating to feed the leaves longitudinally towards and laterally past the points of action of the cutters of each dish whereby said disks penetrate said leaves in lines lying diagonally across the transverse width thereof.

16. In a machine for shredding fibrous leaves, a rotatable shaft, and discs mounted thereon and each having aseries of cutters at their peripheries, in combination with a feed chain arranged to operate in a direction inclined to the planes of rotation of said discs, to feed the leaves longitudinally towards and laterally past the points of action of the cutters of each disk.

17. In a machine for shredding fibrous leaves, a rotatable shaft, and discs mounted thereon and each having a series of cutters at their peripheries, in combination with feeding mechanism operating to feed the leaves longitudinally towards and laterally past the points of action of the cutters of each disk, and auxiliary feeding devices arranged to engage the leaves and hold them against displacement while being fed to the cutters.

18. In a machine for shredding fibrous leaves, a rotatable shaft, and discs mounted.

thereon and each having a series of annularly aligned cutters at their peripheries, in combination with feeding mechanism operating to feed the leaves longitudinally towards and laterally past the points of action of the annularly aligned cutters of each disk, and means to engage and hold the leaves in position while being acted upon by the cutters.

19. In a machine for shredding fibrous leaves, a table, a rotatable shaft, discs each carrying a series of successively operating slitting cutters'mounted on said shaft, said cutters operating in gangs past the edge of said table, and means to feed the leaves longitudinally towards and laterally past said table edge and into successive engagement of said gangs of cutters.

20. In a machine for shredding fibrous leaves, a table, a rotatable shaft, discs each carrying a series of successively operating slitting cutters mounted on said shaft, said cutters operating past the edge of said table, means to feed the leaves longitudinally towards and laterallv past said table edge, and means to retain the leaves against displacement while being presented over the edge of the table and to the action of said cutters.

21. Ina machine for shredding fibrous leaves, a table, arotatable shaft, discs each carrying a series of successively operating slitting cutters mounted on said shaft, said cutters operating past the edge ofsaid table, means for feeding the leaves along the table surface and in a direction inclined to the table edge, and auxiliary devices operating to engage the leaves while being fed along the table surface to hold the same against displacement.

22. In a machine for shredding fibrous leaves, a table, a rotatable shaft, discs each carrying a series of annularly aligned slitting cutters mounted on said shaft, said annularly aligned cutters operating'past the edge of said table, means for feeding the leaves along the table surface and in a direction inclined to the table edge, and pinching rollers mounted at the table edge and over which the leaves are fed.

23. In a machine for shredding fibrous leaves, a table, a rotatable shaft, discs each carrying a series of annularly aligned slitting cutters mounted on said shaft, said aligned cutters operating past the edge of said table, means for feeding the leaves along the table surface and in a direction inclined to the table edge, and rotatably mounted pinching rollers mounted at the table edge and over which the leaves are fed.

24. In a machine for shredding fibrous leaves, a table, a rotatable shaft, discs each carrying a series of successively acting slitting cutters mounted on said shaft, the cutters of each disk operating past the edge of said table, means for feeding the leaves along the table surface and in a direction inclined to the table edge, and pinching rollers mounted at the table edge and over which the leaves are fed, and means cooperating with said rollers to maintain the leaves against displacement While being fed thereover.

25. In a machine for shredding fibrous leaves, a table, a rotatable shaft, discs'each carrying a series of successively acting slitting cutters mounted on said shaft, said out ters operating past the edge of said table, means for feeding the'leaves along the table surface and in a. direction inclined to the table edge, and rotatably mounted pinching rollers mounted at the-table edge and over whichthe leaves are fed, and means cooperating with said rollers to maintain the leaves against displacement while being fed there- I over.

26. In a machine for shredding fibrous leaves, a table, a rotatable shaft, discs each carrying a series of successively acting slitting cutters mounted on said shaft, said outters operating past the edge of said table, means for feeding the leaves along the table surface and in a direction inclined to the table edge, and auxiliary feed devices positioned above the table surface and operating to hold the leaves in fed by said feeding means.

27. In a machine for shredding fibrous leaves, a table, rotatively mounted discs carrying slitting cutters arranged to operate past the edge of said table, a feed chain operating along the surface of the table in a direction inclined to the planes of rotation of said discs, to feed the leaves to said outters, arms pivotally mounted above the table and carrying auxiliary feed chains, said arms extending to the table edge and the feed chains carried thereby resting by gravity upon the table to engage hold in place and assist in the feed of the leaves.

28. In a machine'for shredding fibrous leaves, a table, rotatively mounted disks carrying slitting cutters arranged to operate past the edge of said table, means for retating said disks, a feed chain, and means for actuating it, said chain operating in a direction inclined to the planes of rotation of said disks to feed the leaves towards, over and along said table edge, shafts disposed above and transversely across the table, arms hinged at one end upon said shafts, said arms disposed in parallel rela tion to said feed chain, and auxiliary chains carried by said arms and operating to engage, hold in place, and assist in the feed of the leaves.

29. In a machine for shredding fibrous leaves, a table, rotatively mounted disks carrying slitting cutters arranged to operate past the edge of said table, means for rotatposition while beingv ing said disks, a food chain, and means for actuating it, said chain operatingin a direction inclined to the planes of rotation of said disks to feed the leaves towards, over and along said table edge, shafts disposed above and transversely across the table, arms hinged at one end "upon said shafts, said arms disposed in parallel relation to said feed chain, and auxiliary chains carried by said arms and operating to engage, hold in place and assist in the feed of the leaves, the free ends of said arms extending to a point adjacent the table edge, and cooperating pinch rollers or disks positioned at the table edge and over which the leaves are fed.

50. In a machine for shredding fibrous leaves, a table, disks carrying slitting cutters, a supporting shaft for said disks, means for rotating said shaft, said shaft being arranged in relation to the edge of the table for said cutters to operate past said edge, a feed chain, said chain operating in a direction inclined to the planes of rotation of said disks, auxiliary feed chains disposed above said table and in parallel relation with respect to the first mentioned feed chain, said auxiliary chains having pins to engage, hold in place, and assist in the feed of the leaves, and pinch rollers arranged at the table edge and over Which the leaves are fed, said pinch rollers having pins to be engaged by the pins on said auxiliary chains to rotate said rollers.

31. In a machine for shredding fibrous leaves, a table having grooves in its upper surface, disks carrying slitting cutters, a shaft upon which said disks are mounted, means for rotating said shaft, means for feeding the leaves in a direction inclined to the planes of rotation of said disks, and auxiliary feed chains positioned above the table surface and having pins to penetrate, hold in place and assist in the feed of the leaves, said pins operating in the grooves in the table surface.

32. In a machine for shredding fibrous leaves, the combination with means to successively slit the leaves longitudinally, means to feed the leaves in a direction inclined to the plane of action of the slitting means, and means for cleaning the slitting means of any adhering substances,

In a machine for shredding fibrous leaves, a plurality of disks, a shaft upon which said disks are mounted, each of said disks carrying a series of slitting cutters at its periphery, means for rotating said disks, and means for feeding the leaves to be shredded to the action of the cutters on said disks, in combination with a brush arranged in the path of travel of the cutters, means for rotating said brush, and means for shifting said brush endwise.

34-. In a machine for shredding fibrous leaves, a plurality of disks, a shaft upon which said disks are mounted, each of said disks carrying a series of slitting cutters at itsperiphery, means for rotating said disks,

and means for feeding the leaves to be shredded diagonally to the action of the cutters on said disks, and means for beating the shredded portions of the leaves to remove particles of woody matter therefrom.

35. In a machine for shredding fibrous leaves, a plurality of disks, a shaft upon which said disks are mounted, each of said disks carrying a series of slitting cutters at its periphery, means for rotating said disks, and means for feeding the leaves to be shredded diagonally to the action of the cutters on said disks, beater rods carried by said disks to strike the shredded portions of the leaves during the rotations of said disks and press the same towards the path of action of the cutters.

36. In a machine for shredding fibrous leaves, a plurality of disks, a shaft upon which said disks are mounted, each of said disks carrying a series of slitting cutters at its periphery, means for rotating said disks, and means for feeding the leaves to be shredded diagonally to the action of the cutters on said disks, beater rods carried by said disks to strike the shredded portions of the leaves during the rotations of said disks, and a fan for forcing the shredded portions of dthe leaves into the path of travel of said ro s.

37. In a machine for shredding fibrous leaves, a framework, standards mounted thereon, a shaft journaled in said standards, discs each carrying a series of slitting cutters at its periphery said disks mounted upon to rotate with said shaft, a table also supported upon said frame work, means for feeding the leaves to be shredded in an inclined direction with respect to the planes of rotation of said disks whereby the slitting cutters of each disk operate successively past the edge of said table at an elevation to accommodate the shredded portions of the leaves below the level of said table.

38. In an apparatus of the class described, a shredding and cleaning mechanism including means to slit the material in the direc tion of its length, and means whereby each succeeding slit commences at a point in the material farther away from the front end of the material.

39. In an apparatus of the class described, a shredding and cleaning apparatus including rotary disks carrying shredding blades at the peripheries thereof, and feeding mechanism operating to feed the material in the direction of its length towards and diagonally past the planes of action of the shredding blades.

40. In an apparatus of the class described, a shredding and cleaning apparatus including rotary disks carrying shredding blades at the peripheries thereof, and a feed chain arranged to operate in a direction inclined to the planes of rotation of said disks, to feed the material lengthwise towards and laterally past the points of action of the shredding blades, and auxiliary feeding chains disposed above the material to en gage and hold the same against displacement While being fed to and acted upon by the blades. 10

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set i. my hand on this 3rd day of Sept. A. D., 

